Around the West in 30 Days – Day 1

MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA

T-Day (travel day) and we woke up behind schedule. There were quite a few loose ends to tie up before we could go. But what the Blankenships lack in timeliness, we make up for in adventure! A quick stop for a hug and a prayer with dear friends, and then we boogied to the Mississippi line.

Today’s highlights:

1. Two million hours in the car searching for the perfect music selection we could all enjoy. Finally, breaking out in every Oklahoma! Broadway song we know. That’s how we roll.

2. Visiting the ruins of the Nobel Hotel in downtown Jackson, MS. We have an old letter from Brandon’s grandfather to his grandmother from this hotel. He was a railroad man and spent a lot of time there right across the street from the Train Depot.

4. Very sketchy Ramada Inn in Brassier, LA. But, hey… if you are on a strict budget, it works. Beats sleeping in a tent in the rain. Just sayin’.

I just want to say here that I packed for a 3 week trip in a small overnight suitcase like those super fancy flight attendants do. Props and shout outs to Pinterest and all those who went before and figured that out! (I’m not counting the huge oversized purse I had to bring to fit everything else in. It’s not a suitcase, so it doesn’t count.)

I will also offer this travel tip: To get rid of hotel smells, brew the complimentary cup of coffee as soon as you enter the room. Then place a cotton ball soaked with your favorite essential oil over the air vent and crank it up. Voilà! Almost like home. Sort of.

Day one, I count as a success. God is good, all the time. Enjoying each moment.